Carlos Carrasco gives up three quick homers as Yankees get carved up by Tigers’ Tarik Skubal in shutout loss

And that’s the way Cookie crumbled. 

On a day that was not at all ideal for hitting, the Tigers made it seem easier than the Yankees, as the pitching may have had more to do with that than the 34 degrees at first pitch. 

Carlos Carrasco served up three home runs in a span of four batters in the fourth inning, which along with Tarik Skubal carving up the Yankees, sent them to a third straight loss, 5-0 to the Tigers on a frigid Tuesday afternoon at Comerica Park. 

As if the conditions were not challenging enough to hit in, the Yankees were facing reigning AL Cy Young winner Skubal.

The lefty went against the scouting report that the Yankees had for him, throwing more offspeed than they expected, resulting in six shutout innings in which he scattered just four singles. 

“He kept us off-balance, he hit his spots and that’s the way you’re supposed to go out there and pitch,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “You’re supposed to hit your spots, especially when you’ve got guys like Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup. You’ve got to go out there and dominate your pitches and I think that’s what he did [today].” 

Yankees pitcher Carlos Carrasco reacts as the Tigers’ Dillon Dingler rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the fourth inning on April 8, 2025.

Carrasco did not, as his lack of command led to the Tigers teeing off on him for the three solo home runs in a span of 11 pitches. 

“They stung some balls against him,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s imperative that he really commands all of it. He’s got to have that elite command. He doesn’t have a lot of margin [for error].” 

After flying high for the first week-plus of the season, the Yankees lineup has gone through a lull over the past three games, especially against the opposing starter.

Andrew Heaney, Casey Mize and Skubal have combined to throw 19 innings in which the Yankees scored just two runs on 13 hits and four walks while striking out 22 times. 

“It’s a tough game to hit,” Boone said. “We got shut down here these last really few days. Last day in Pittsburgh, Heaney shut us down a lot in those middle innings before we were able to rally late. [Monday] we had good at-bats. We weren’t able to put points on the board, didn’t chase Mize, but I felt like we had the right at-bats going. 

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal pitches against the Yankees on April 8, 2025.

“Today, Skubal got a lead and just beat us, period. It’s going to happen.” 

The Yankees’ best chance to get to Skubal came in the first inning, when Goldschmidt and Ben Rice led off the game with back-to-back singles.

But after that, Skubal retired 16 straight batters before Goldschmidt (who had three of the Yankees’ six hits) reached on an infield single with one out in the sixth inning. 

Aaron Judge at bat against the Tigers on April 8, 2025.

Lefty reliever Brant Hurter then tossed the final three innings to complete the shutout, the first time the Yankees have been blanked this season. 

Carrasco had delivered a solid first start the last time out, when he gave up three runs across 5 ¹/₃ innings against the Diamondbacks.

But the 38-year-old right-hander, who won a rotation spot with a strong spring and injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, had a tougher time on Tuesday while giving up four runs across 4 ¹/₃ innings. 

It was a 1-0 game in the fourth inning when Spencer Torkelson led off by crushing a first-pitch slider into the Yankees bullpen in left-center field.

One out later, Zach McKinstry and Dillon Dingler hit back-to-back jacks, both off of sinkers (at 90 and 91 mph) to make it 4-0. 

“I just missed a couple spots right there,” Carrasco said. “When you have command, everything’s completely different. But I missed a couple spots and I got hurt.” 

The Yankees are expected to get Schmidt back from the injured list next week (if he gets through his final rehab start Thursday without any issues), but it is not a given that Carrasco will be the odd man out.